


G. Ex M.

by syynthetical



Category: NCIS
Genre: Can be read as pre-slash, Gen, General team love, Gibbs & Tony friendship, McNozzo friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 05:13:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1333315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syynthetical/pseuds/syynthetical
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Relax, McGee.  All we’ve got to do is sit back, kill some time, and wait for the boss man to find us.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	G. Ex M.

**Author's Note:**

> Set around Season 7 (as that's as far as I've seen.) Title stands for _Gibbs Ex Machina_.

**1.**

“Ah, c’mon!” Tony yelled and thumped the wall for good measure.

“That’s not going to help,” McGee said, with infuriating calm.

Tony braced himself, trying to keep his own calm. “Yes, thank you, McObvious,” he bit out.

**2.**

McGee had started looking worried.

“Relax, McGee. All we’ve got to do is sit back, kill some time, and wait for the boss man to find us,” Tony said, feeling along the seal of the door. “The man’s like a blood hound. Unstoppable. A force of nature.”

McGee’s lips twitched, some of the worry on his face dissipating.

**3.**

“First kiss?”

“Thirteen.”

“Nine. Okay the big one. Losing your virginity?”

Tim hesitated.

“Seventeen,” he said, eyebrow raised as if daring Tony to comment.

“Not bad, McGee.”

“Thanks, Tony,” he said dryly. “How about you?”

“Fifteen.”

“Huh.”

“Huh?”

“Thought it would be younger.”

“Fifteen’s a perfectly respectable age, Tim.”

Tim shrugged. “Seems a little slow for you, DiNozzo.”

“I was waiting for the right girl.”

“And was she?”

“Oh yeah. Sarah Kowalski, my prom date. Tall, blonde...” Tony’s voice sounded far away and Tim rolled his eyes.

**4.**

“What about you and Ziva?”

“What about me and Ziva?” Tony asked nonchalantly.

“Seems like there’s something there.”

“What about you and Abby?” Tony shot back.

McGee shrugged. By mutual agreement they both shut up.

**5.**

The lights suddenly went out, the world plunging into darkness.

“What the hell?” Tony muttered.

Across the other side of the cell McGee’s breathing had sped up.

“McGee? You okay?” Tony called out.

“I’m fine,” Tim said, practically hyperventilating.

“You are not fine. Jesus, McGee. Get over here.”

A scuffling sound as McGee crossed the cell and then he was settling at Tony’s side, still breathing funny.

“Now’s really not a good time for claustrophobia, Tim,” Tony said.

“I can’t exactly help it,” McGee said and Tony reached out a hand and patted what turned out to be McGee’s thigh. He pulled his hand away hurriedly.

“The temperature’s dropping,” McGee said, apparently not having noticed Tony accidentally groping him. “I think we’re in a desert.”

“Makes sense.”

“The lights are probably solar powered. They must have cut out when the sun went down.”

**6.**

“Tony –“

“Just sleep, Tim.”

“No, Tony, do you hear that?”

Tony held his breath. Above the slight ringing in his ears – damn he was getting old – was a high pitched hum.

“Yeah I hear it. What is that?”

Tim shifted against him.

“Electricity,” he said, a note of excitement in his voice.

“Ventilation?”

“I don’t think so.”

He could feel McGee shift and then suddenly there was cold air against his side. Tony wrapped his arms around himself.

“Jesus, McGee, get back here, it’s freezing.”

“Just a minute – I think it’s coming from here. Damn it, I can’t feel anything.“

There was a scraping noise followed by a long pause.

“What are you doing?” Tony hissed.

“Marking the spot,” Tim said quietly and then he was back again, pressing against Tony’s side, his slight frame shivering violently.

Wasn’t not being able to maintain your body temperature a sign of dehydration? For the first time he felt a twinge of worry.

“Can I –?“ McGee asked reluctantly.

It should have been awkward but Tony had no room for awkward what with all the tired and thirsty he had going on. McGee buried his face further into the crook of Tony’s neck, sighing in relief.

“Thanks.”

“Stop talking, Tim. I’m trying to pretend you’re Angelina Jolie.”

He could feel McGee’s lips curve in a smile against the skin of his neck. The shivers running through Tim’s body were less pronounced now. After a while they stopped altogether, Tim’s breathing evening out. Tony closed his eyes and slept.

**7.**

When he woke, McGee was across the other side of their cell, scrabbling at the corner of the ceiling.

“There’s something here.”

Something turned out to be a small black camera that Tim carefully prized away from the wall.

**8.**

“No – no no no NO!”

There was a fizzing noise and then the small camera’s receiver sparked, smoke curling out of it.

“Did it work? What happened?”

Tim collapsed back against the wall.

“Did it work?!”

“For about 2 seconds,” Tim said.

“That’s better than nothing, right?”

“The signal was too short to penetrate the surrounding rock,” McGee said, head hanging in his hands, a defeated slump to his shoulders.

Tony sat back heavily against the opposite wall.

“Tony, I’m sorry. That was our only chance and I blew it,” Tim said softly.

Tony shook his head, feeling numb.

“You did your best.”

**9.**

When he awoke McGee was still awake, staring up at the ceiling. When Tony shifted his neck spasmed and he swore under his breath.

“How long was I out?”

“An hour, I think,” McGee said, his voice rasping.

From disuse or dehydration? Probably both. Tony rubbed at the grit in his eyes and winced at the stiffness in his joints.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” And then, “we’re going to die here, aren’t we?” Tim rasped out, resigned.

He wanted to lie, but the words wouldn’t come. Tony swallowed against the sand paper in his mouth.

“Yeah, Tim, we are,” he croaked.

Tim nodded wearily.

**10.**

He wondered how the others would take it. Maybe they’d never find them, him and Tim. He knew Gibbs would never stop looking, not as long as he had a lead. Another loss for the boss’s rap sheet. _Sorry, boss_. Ziva, Abby, Ducky, even Palmer.... His father, would his father miss him?

McGee’s hand, dry and cold even in the heat, curled around Tony’s fingers, squeezing slightly. Tony returned the pressure and stayed quiet when Tim didn’t move his hand away after.

**11.**

Time got patchy after that, awareness coming and going. The ceiling above him. Tim, too still, breath shallow. Patches dancing across his vision. Noise that seemed far away. Blue sky.

Someone speaking in his ear, the words just sounds.

“If you don’t hang on, DiNozzo, I will kick your ass.”

**12.**

“Boss?” Tony tried to say and ended up coughing.

Gibbs glanced up from his newspaper. Before Tony had time to say more there was a flurry of nurses and then Tony was slipping away again to sleep.

**13.**

Next time he awoke, Ducky was there.

“Ducky?” he asked, confused.

Ducky smiled warmly at him.

“Good morning, Anthony. How are you feeling?”

“Thirsty.”

Memory hit like a freight train and Tony tried to sit up.

“What – “

Ducky laid a restraining hand on his arm.

“You’re quite safe, Tony. You’ve had a close call, but your prognosis is excellent.”

Thank God for small mercies. Or should that be thank Gibbs?

“Gibbs, found us?”

“Oh that he did,” Ducky said with a conspiratorial smile. “You should have seen him, Anthony. Heaven itself could not have stopped him. He would not rest until he found yourself and McGee.”

McGee – shit –

“McGee? How – “ another coughing fit.

“Timothy is still under observation,” Ducky said, concern obvious in his voice. “He did not bounce back as quickly as yourself.”

**14.**

“You go in the wheelchair or not at all. Hospital policy,” the hot blonde nurse insisted.

“Only if you’ll wheel me,” he said to the nurse, grinning.

“If that’s what it takes, Mr DiNozzo,” she said, rolling her lovely blue eyes.

It wasn’t a long journey, but it was probably further than he could have walked. McGee’s room was airy. There was a glass of water by his bedside. McGee was kind of a grey colour, eyes still slightly sunken. He was propped up though, reading – of course. McGee turned as they wheeled in through the door.

“Hey,” McGee said, voice rough.

“Hey, Tim,” Tony said, taking a moment to look over McGee. “You look awful,” Tony told him.

“Thanks, Tony,” he rasped. “You look pretty dreadful yourself.”

“Are you kidding me? You can’t ruin perfection.”

Tim snorted.

“You do have the complexion of a 14 year old. With acne,” Tim said with some obvious effort.

“Acne?” Tony said, hands flying to his face. There was a raised bump on his nose. “Someone get me a mirror!”

**15.**

Gibbs stopped by only once before they were released. They were in the day room, Tim snoozing in a chair while Tony watched a rerun of _The 39 Steps_ \- total classic – on the old television.

“Hey, boss,” Tony said quietly once he spotted Gibbs lurking in the doorway.

Gibbs nodded his greeting. “How’re you feeling?” he asked.

“Pretty good.”

“Good,” Gibbs said and then rested his hand on Tony’s shoulder. Just a brief weight – one manly pat. Tony blinked up at him.

“Hey boss. Thanks. You know, for the rescue.”

Gibbs quirked his lips in the way that meant he was amused. His eyes flicked to Tim quickly and then he patted Tony’s shoulder again.

“Get some rest, DiNozzo,” was all he said.

He left. Tony smiled to himself and turned back to the screen.


End file.
